EXXAERO Beats ADS-B Out Upgrade Grounding Cost Fears

Based in the Netherlands, EXXAERO provides a broad range of private jet services including aircraft charter and management.

The company must identify the ultimate time to upgrade its aircraft, taking into consideration costs, aircraft downtime and any forthcoming mandates from regulators.

One such mandate is Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) technology. It is being mandated in many parts of the world and, from June 2020, EASA has ruled that aircraft flying in Europe need to be equipped with a DO-260B Mode S transponder featuring Extended Squitter and operating on 1090MHz.

Pieter Boeter is EXXAERO’s director of maintenance. “There are so many aircraft in the world that need to be upgraded to ADS-B Out that it’s very possible that there will be insufficient capacity at the maintenance facilities nearer to the deadline,” he said.

“If we waited until the deadline to perform the upgrade and there was no maintenance facility available then this would leave our airplane on the ground and this would potentially lose revenue for the owners and the company. It’s better to be in time and to be ready.”

EXXAERO recently selected Honeywell partner JetSupport, an Amsterdam-based Part 145 certified maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company, to complete the upgrade on one of its Falcon 900s.

“ADS-B Out is already necessary in some areas of the world and we need to be able to fly there as we do not want to disappoint any of our customers,” added Boeter.

“Also, towards the deadline, prices will be increased by manufacturers and maintenance facilities and so it’s a good decision to start early and be ready.”